in this province is disappointing to all friends of China. It mae oaheanily ex: pected when Yuan Shih-kai took over the reins that his well-known firmness and ability would be manifested almost before he had time to get into office atoll. Everything has turned out like a morning dream. Proclamations have been issued in abundance not from the Governor only but from Taotais; and military men of sundry ranks. The phraseology of these productions leaves nothing to be desired, unless it might boa little external carrying out of their terra into act. A booklet written by the district magistrate of the Wuch'ixo country on the edge of Chibli has been circulated all over the province as a warning to the multitudes. It_ contains an elaborate history of uprisings like the present Big Knife and Boxer Rebellion for many generations past, in which it is demonstrated that all that went into these enterprises sooner or later were extinguished. But the display of this brochure has a very exucerbating effect on the Boxer fever, snd only makes them whet their swords the faster, and sharper.
PEKING THE FOUNTAIN OF TROUBLE, It is now as certain as anything can be hich noone can prove, that the nidus of all the trouble has been in Peking. The boast that there were "Secret Orders" for the formation of the Z Ho Ch'ian of which we used to hear last summer when it was in its cradle, seems to be substantiated by the Janus-feeed edicts issued by Her Majesty, which were preceded as is now kuomin by a secret one to Yuan Shih-kai to beware how he made indiscriminate arrests, and how he provoked the people!
Every Chinese knows that things are not only not what they seem but not what they say, and especially in Imperial proclamations and edicts. Accordingly, the phrases used have been oil on the fires, The local magistrates did nothing before, They have done much less now. The Foreign Bureau" in Chinanfu_has begun to operate as a complete Circumlocution Office, to the blocking of business, For instance, when specific charges are jen in of outrages, the demand is for the names (in full) with residences of the individuals alleged to have committed the objectionable acts, Ifany of the names are wrong—and these individuals are a mere bundle of aliases—then "there is no such person," and, besides, there must be proof that the persons actually did the acts in person. If all these are not forthcoming, then the accusation is mere waste paper In other and better days it wax sufficient to report a robbery and the magistrates thought it best to bestir themselves to find out who did it, and catch them. Now the Branch of industry and Keep. directories orsons plundered must undertake new
of the bullies and blacklegs of every district with recent photographs of them all, to be compared with the originals while the looting of one's place is going on, Theo comparisons should be fortified with a bundle of affidavits of the best-known mien for referee ce, and the case will then be looked into
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.